V: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Elaine Viets

This author has two series I follow.

Dead End Job mysteries.

Helen Hawthorne is hiding out in Florida so she can only take jobs that pay under the table. Light-hearted and humorous, Helen goes from dead end job to dead end job finding murder victims along the way. She has to solve these crimes quickly so she can keep her own secret hidden from the investigators before they delve too deeply into her past.

Mystery Shopper series.

Josie Marcus is a mystery shopper in St. Louis who stumbles over dead bodies. Her mother and her daughter provide the humor. These are also light-hearted reads.

Viets has taken the Medicolegal Death Investigators Training Course and used her knowledge to write a new series—Angela Richman Death Investigator Books.

According to Viets, these novels are a bit on the darker side, but I love forensics, so I’m eager to read them.

U: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Waverly Underhill

Introducing a radio series starring:

Captain Waverly Underhill.

These Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater shows are fun and entertaining and feature Captain Underhill, a retired policeman, and his sidekick, Dr. Alexander Scofield—kind of a Holmes/Watson feel.

I listen to these DVDs frequently.

T: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Victoria Thompson

The Gaslight Mysteries is my absolute favorite series.

They’re set in New York City at the turn of the century. Estranged from her wealthy society family, Sarah Brandt lives and works as a midwife in the tenements of the city.

Discovering a murder, she assists Sergeant Frank Malloy’s investigation. This time period had a corrupt police force (the New York Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt era), but Frank is an honest cop trying to do his job. The historical details provide a vivid look at life in that era.

As each novel unfolds, the character development shows a nice progression in her life. I adore Brian—Malloy’s deaf son, Malloy’s mother, Gino and Maeve. Oh, and not to forget Sarah’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Decker and Sarah’s neighbor, Mrs. Ellsworth.

Quite frankly, all the returning characters are well established and consistent and add to the stories.

Like I said—my favorite series.

S: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Sarah Shankman

Samantha Adams Series.

Sam is a crime reporter who moves back to her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

Truth be told, I read these books a very long time ago, but I do remember I loved them—they were a riot. A blast from the past!

R: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Hannah Reed

Scottish Highlands Mysteries.

Eden Elliott embarks on an open-ended trip to the Scottish Highlands to research and write her book.

Of course murder occurs and Eden jumps into a murder investigation in lieu of working on her novel.

The characters interact well and the village details of Glenkillen paint a quaint, scenic picture. (So much so that I have a hankering to return to Scotland.)